1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and an instrument for estimating whether the growing ovarian follicle of a woman who wishes to become pregnant is in good condition.
2. Prior Art
Heretofore, to determine an impregnable period, one who wishes to become pregnant generally practices a method of measuring basal body temperature continuously or a method of detecting hormones in urine by use of test paper after a certain period of time has passed since a menstrual day. This is a method in which the number of fertilizable days is calculated from the fertilizable time of an ovum and the fertilizable time of sperms to determine several days before and after an ovulation day inclusive as the impregnable period. To perform the calculation, the occurrence of ovulation is checked by use of the above method.
Further, as a method for examining the condition of the growing ovum of a woman, a blood collection method or a method of examining the condition of an uterus or oviduct directly has been practiced.
Further, Japan Fertilization and Implantation Society Journal 14: (1997) 121-123 discusses the transition of a body impedance value in external fertilization and ovulation induction. The journal discusses that a growing ovum is in good condition when the body impedance value is higher than a given impedance value.
Although the conventional methods for determining an impregnable period can determine when the impregnable period is, they are not capable of determining a physical condition suitable for impregnation and the condition of a growing ovum.
A conventional method for examining whether one is in a physical condition suitable for impregnation causes pain on the examinee and takes time because it involves the collection of blood and the direct examination of the condition of an uterus or oviduct and therefore puts significant burdens on the examinee physically as well as mentally. In addition, the method requires a certain amount of time to reveal the result of the examination and is not capable of determining whether the examinee is in the physical condition suitable for impregnation easily.
Further, it is also described in the above xe2x80x9cJapan Fertilization and Implantation Society Journal 14: (1997) 121-123xe2x80x9d that the condition of a growing ovum can be known based on a change in body impedance value. However, since the body impedance varies according to the physique of an individual, it is difficult to know the condition of the growing ovum by simply measuring the bioelectrical impedance.
The present invention has been invented in view of these conventional problems. An object of the present invention is to know the current hormone balance and condition of the growing ovum of a woman instantaneously by carrying out a simple noninvasive measurement and thereby provide the woman who wishes to become pregnant with sufficient information by informing her of whether she is in a condition in which she is likely to become pregnant at a high success rate.
A method of the present invention for estimating the condition of a growing ovum comprises the steps of measuring a bioelectrical impedance, calculating the index of follicle growth of an examinee from the measured bioelectrical impedance value and at least one parameter pertaining to the physique of the examinee, and comparing the calculated index of follicle growth of the examinee with the index of follicle growth as a reference which corresponds to the number of passed days of a menstrual cycle to estimate whether the growing ovum of the examinee is in good condition.
Further, a method of the present invention for estimating the condition of a growing ovum comprises the steps of measuring a bioelectrical impedance by use of alternating currents of a plurality of frequencies, calculating the index of follicle growth of an examinee from the measured bioelectrical impedance value and at least one parameter pertaining to the physique of the examinee, and comparing the calculated index of follicle growth of the examinee with the index of follicle growth as a reference which corresponds to the number of passed days of a menstrual cycle to estimate whether the growing ovum of the examinee is in good condition.
Further, a method of the present invention for estimating the condition of a growing ovum comprises the steps of measuring a bioelectrical impedance and comparing the measured bioelectrical impedance value with the past bioelectrical impedance value measured in the relative period of an examinee.
Further, in the method of the present invention for estimating the condition of a growing ovum, the index of follicle growth as a reference which corresponds to the number of passed days of a menstrual cycle is modified according to the age of the examinee.
Further, in the method of the present invention for estimating the condition of a growing ovum, the at least one parameter pertaining to the physique of the examinee is a height.
Further, in the method of the present invention for estimating the condition of a growing ovum, the at least one parameter pertaining to the physique of the examinee is a weight.
Further, in the method of the present invention for estimating the condition of a growing ovum, the at least one parameter pertaining to the physique of the examinee is BMI.
An instrument of the present invention for estimating the condition of a growing ovum comprises an input unit, a bioeilectrical impedance measuring unit, an arithmetic unit, a comparing unit, an estimating unit and an informing unit, wherein the input unit inputs at least one parameter pertaining to the physique of an examinee, the bioelectrical impedance measuring unit measures the bioelectrical impedance of the examinee, the arithmetic unit calculates the index of follicle growth of the examinee from the measured bioelectrical impedance and the parameter pertaining to the physique of the examinee, the comparing unit compares the calculated index of follicle growth of the examinee with the index of follicle growth as a reference which corresponds to the number of passed days of a menstrual cycle, the estimating unit estimates the condition of the growing ovum of the examinee based on the result of the comparison, and the informing unit informs the result pertaining to the condition of the growing ovum from the estimating unit.
Further, an instrument of the present invention for estimating the condition of a growing ovum comprises an input unit, a bioelectrical impedance measuring unit, an arithmetic unit, a comparing unit, an estimating unit and an informing unit, wherein the input unit inputs at least one parameter pertaining to the physique of an examinee, the bioelectrical impedance measuring unit measures the bioelectrical impedance of the examinee by use of alternating currents of a plurality of frequencies, the arithmetic unit calculates the index of follicle growth of the examinee from the measured bioelectrical impedance and the parameter pertaining to the physique of the examinee, the comparing unit compares the calculated index of follicle growth of the examinee with the index of follicle growth as a reference which corresponds to the number of passed days of a menstrual cycle, the estimating unit estimates the condition of the growing ovum of the examinee based on the result of the comparison, and the informing unit informs the result pertaining to the condition of the growing ovum from the estimating unit.
Further, an instrument of the present invention for estimating the condition of a growing ovum comprises a bioelectrical impedance measuring unit, a memory, a comparing unit, an estimating unit and an informing unit, wherein the bioelectrical impedance measuring unit measures the bioelectrical impedance of an examinee, the comparing unit compares the current bioelectrical impedance with the bioelectrical impedance in the past relative period which is stored in the memory, the estimating unit estimates the condition of the growing ovum of the examinee based on the result of the comparison, and the informing unit informs the result pertaining to the condition of the growing ovum from the estimating unit.
Further, in the instrument of the present invention for estimating the condition of a growing ovum, the index of follicle growth as a reference is modified according to the examinee""s age input through the input means.
Further, the instrument of the present invention for estimating the condition of a growing ovum further comprises a memory, wherein the memory stores the measured bioelectrical impedance and the comparing unit compares the measured bioelectrical impedance with the past bioelectrical impedance in the relative period which is stored in the memory when the estimated condition of the hormone is good.
Further, in the instrument of the present invention for estimating the condition of a growing ovum, the at least one parameter pertaining to the physique of the examinee is a height.
Further, in the instrument of the present invention for estimating the condition of a growing ovum, the at least one parameter pertaining to the physique of the examinee is a weight.
Further, in the instrument of the present invention for estimating the condition of a growing ovum, the at least one parameter pertaining to the physique of the examinee is BMI.
Further, the instrument of the present invention for estimating the condition of a growing ovum further comprises a body weight measuring unit, wherein the body weight measuring unit measures the body weight of the examinee and the measured body weight is used as the parameter pertaining to the physique of the examinee.
Further, in the instrument of the present invention for estimating the condition of a growing ovum, the index of follicle growth is the ratio between extracellular fluid resistance and intracellular fluid resistance.